The one definite reality about Egyptian literature this year is that the volume of works released is relatively poor compared to last year’s. This literary recession may have its roots in the economic crisis which hit every field in 2009.
This might only be a relative recession though, with last year being an exceptionally good year for Egyptian literature. One solid indication of this is that nearly half of December’s bestsellers list on bookstores like Al-Shorouk is for last year’s literature such as “Azazeel, “Sunset Oasis, “Chicago and “Yacoubian Building.
Even the excitement about the Arabic Booker prize (formally the International Prize for Arabic Fiction) has waned this year, and its shortlist selection has been questioned even before its announcement a week ago.
On a more positive note, this year has seen short stories entering the bestsellers’ lists for the first time in many years. However, some may disagree saying this is only because the big names (Bahaa Taher and Alaa Al-Aswany) decided to publish or republish their short stories collection.
A new exciting trend is the increased reprinting of our recent and not so distant literary gems. For example, a number of Sufism-related studies by Youssef Ziedan (winner of this year’s Arabic Booker for his monumental historical fiction “Azazeel ), and a vast reprint of Ibrahim Abdel-Kader Al-Mazny’s – one of the grandfathers of Egyptian journalism – literary production, from essays to novels to political articles.
The following list is comprised of the books that left the biggest impact on the literary scene this year.
Rinn (Name)
Gamal Al-Ghitani’s “Rinn blends the complex nonlinear narrative style of the postmodern novel and the nearly extinct tradition of Arabic travel literature. It’s a traveler log, a historical expedition of philosophy, and an enjoyable inner dialogue all in one.
The winner of this year’s Al-Sheikh Zayed book award for Arabic literature has its main focus on names. In “Rinn, which means “name in ancient Egypt, the writer ponders the physical and spiritual remains of our ancestors to uncover the secrets they hid in the names of their cities, pharaohs, and deities.
Warraq Al-Hob (The Scribe of Love)
This year’s winner of the Naguib Mahfouz medal for literature is a box full of literary innovations. The labyrinth of stories about writing a novel in this novel is endless. The novelist/protagonist’s search for novel material never stops, and his gaze never tires. Yet, contrary to what the title promises and the wealth of literary texts the novel cites, the novelist can never really see love in the novel. Perhaps this schizophrenic divide is intended as a metaphor for the separation between fiction and reality, but it is also why the novel didn’t resonate much with readers as its sales prove.
Ketab Malosh Esm (A Book with no Name)
The last few years witnessed the rise of a new wave of literature which we can call socio-political sarcasm. This year, Ahmed Al-Esseily, known for his FM radio and TV sarcastic shows, came up with his first book named “A Book with no Name. The book has strong overtones of philosophy and existentialism. With his funny and sarcastic style, Al-Esseily tackles issues that can be considered taboos in the society such as the nature of God, the reality of religions, why we pray, hypocrisy in religion, individualism vs. collective belief and many other issues that will make you laugh as much as it will make you think.
Aban’a Al-Gabalwy (Gabalwy’s Children)
The young author, Ibrahim Farghaly, with his experience in journalism and literature, influenced with his love for Naguib Mahfouz, comes up with his dream-like fantasy, set in the modern world, with an overtone of Mahfouz novels. There is no main storyline in the novel; instead, it is a group of surrealistic events such as the disappearance of all of Mahfouz’s books from the market and the mysterious appearance of Mahfouz’s characters on the streets of Cairo.
Maybe this novel does not target the common taste; however, it will find its readers among Mahfouz’s lovers who would like to take a journey in his world.
Hakayat Adeya le-Mal’e Al-Waqt (Ordinary Stories to Fill Time)
In truly enjoyable Egyptian storytelling style, Bahiga Hussein recounts real life stories she came across with just the perfect touch of added literary glimmer. This scheme may sound worn out, yet her “Ordinary Stories is without a question one of the year’s must reads.
In the case of this ultra-realist novel, having no groundbreaking literary innovations is a plus not a minus. Throught narrating the stories of a large family in the Egyptian countryside by their daughter Maha, who works in Cairo, Hussein tackles the theme of oppression using a memorable line up of characters.
Lam A’ref an Al-Tawawes Tateer (I Didn’t Know that Peacocks Could Fly)
Arabic Booker Prize winner Bahaa Taher’s first short story collection in 11 years hit the bestsellers shelves as soon as it was published, and for a good reason. All are first person narratives with the themes of identity and estrangement permeating them. In the titular story, for instance, a narrator follows a peacock’s resistance to a rescue mission as if it is his own flight towards freedom.
Ma Fa’laho Al-a’yan bi Al-Mayet (What the Sick did to the Dead)
In another book in the same category of the socio-political sarcasm, comes the latest book by journalist and screenwriter Bilal Fadl “What the Sick Did to the Dead. The book is a collection of short stories inspired by real events from the Egyptian society.
His signature simplicity further highlights the black comedy that characterizes his compelling stories. It’s probably the most befitting writing style to his stories that depict the social and political deterioration of the country.
Youm Gha’em Fe Al-Bar Al-Gharbi (A Cloudy Day on the West Side)
A highly anticipated novel by Muhammad Al-Mansi Qindeel, short-listed for next year’s Arabic Booker, the story is set in the early decades of the 20th century. It follows young Upper-Egyptian Aisha, as she moves from the countryside to the struggles of life in a different setting. She meets with famous figures who lived in that era and is torn between nationalism and working with the Occupation forces.
Through its 570 pages, “A Cloudy Day takes the reader to the backstage of famous events that marked this part of Egypt s history through the testimony of an eye-witness. The author sometimes uses long descriptions and in-story stories – which reached in some parts tens of pages – distracting readers from the main storyline. However, the author often introduces interesting stories in the middle of the novel which gives the paperback its general richness.
